Sweet cherry tree named &#39;IFG Cher-Five&#39;

ABSTRACT

This invention is a new and distinct sweet cherry tree variety denominated ‘IFG Cher-five’. The new sweet cherry tree is characterized by producing large size dark red fruits having flat-round shape. Fruits ripen early about zero to two days ahead of the ‘Brooks’ variety (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 6,676). The ‘IFG Cher-five’ has firm, medium acid fruit with an excellent cherry flavor. Fruits are more tolerant of rain induced cracking, and high temperature induced doubling than ‘Brooks’ and stores better than ‘Brooks’.

Latin name of the genus and species claimed: Prunus avium.

Variety denomination: ‘IFG Cher-five’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The new and distinct sweet cherry tree described and claimed hereinoriginated from open pollinated seeds of fruits of an early ripeningunidentified variety growing in a 12 commercial orchard located nearBakersfield, in Kern County, Calif. collected in May 2001. The seedswere stratified, germinated and the resulting one seedling was plantedin the field near Delano, Kern County, Calif. in April 2002. The presentvariety of sweet cherry tree was selected as a single plant in May 2005and was first asexually propagated in January 2006 by grafting ontoPrunus mahalab rootstock. This propagule was found to reproducetrue-to-type by asexual propagation. All propagation was done nearDelano, Kern County Calif.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Sweet cherries have traditionally been grown in climates with long coldwinters and cool to moderately warm summers. Such climates provideenough cold winter temperatures to allow normal growth to resume in thespring and summer temperatures that are low enough not to induceproduction of unmarketable double or spurred fruit, but it limits theseasonality that cherries are available. The sweet cherry breedingprogram focuses on developing types of cherries that will grow inregions with low winter chilling and high summer temperatures so thatthe fruit will ripen before fruit in traditional growing regions.

The new sweet cherry tree ‘IFG Cher-five’ is characterized by producinglarge size dark red fruits having flat-round shape. Fruits ripen earlyabout zero to two days ahead of the ‘Brooks’ variety (U.S. Plant Pat.No. 6,676). The ‘IFG Cher-five’ has firm, medium acid fruit with anexcellent cherry flavor. Fruits are more tolerant of rain inducedcracking than ‘Brooks’. The tree has a medium-low chilling requirement,slightly lower than the ‘Brooks’ variety. It produces fewer doubled andspurred fruits as compared to the ‘Brooks’ variety in high summertemperature regions such as the Southern San Joaquin Valley ofCalifornia. Fruits of ‘IFG Cher-five’ have medium long, thick stems thatremain attached and stay green during storage and shipping. It has moredesirable darker red skin and flesh than the ‘Brooks’ variety andexhibits less pitting and stores better than the ‘Brooks’ variety.

In comparison with the ‘Glenred’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 12,859), the ‘IFGCher-five’ ripens about two to four days earlier. The fruit stems of‘IFG Cher-five’ are substantially shorter than ‘Glenred’ and remainattached better during storage and shipping.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The accompanying photographic drawing in FIG. 1 illustrates in fullcolor ‘IFG Cher-five’. The photograph was taken outdoors with indirectlighting. The colors are as nearly true as is reasonably possible in acolor representation of this type. An actively growing shoot tipcollected at harvest can be seen in the upper portion of the drawing.Typical mature fruit and fruit in cross-section and cleaned and driedfruit pits are displayed on the lower half of the drawing.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Throughout this specification, color names beginning with a small lettersignify that the name of that color, as used in common speech, is aptlydescriptive. Color names beginning with a capital letter designatevalues based upon R.H.S. Colour Chart, published in 2001 by The RoyalHorticultural Society, London, England.

Throughout this specification subjective description values conform tothose set forth by the International Board for Plant Genetic Resources(IBPGR) ‘Cherry Descriptor List’ (Prunus spp.) (1985) which wasdeveloped with full support from the Commission of the EuropeanCommunities (CEC) Programme Committee for Plant Disease ResistanceBreeding and the Use of Genebanks.

The descriptive matter which follows pertains to ‘IFG Cher-five’ plantsgrown in the vicinity of Delano, Kern County, Calif. during 2013 and2014, and is believed to apply to plants of the variety grown undersimilar conditions of soil and climate elsewhere:

-   Tree:    -   -   General.—Age — 13 yrs. old Height — About 3.1 M when pruned            Width — About 2.6 M when pruned Vigor — Medium Density of            foliage — Dense Form — Upright Rootstock — Prunus mahaleb            Resistance to — Insects: Average typical of Prunus avium            species. Diseases: Average typical of Prunus avium species.            Chilling requirements — Medium, slightly lower than the            ‘Brooks’ variety Graft compatibility — Good; produces            compatible graft unions with Prunus avium, ‘Mazzard’            seedlings (non-patented) and Prunus mahaleb seedlings            (non-patented).        -   Trunk.—Trunk diameter of 13 year old trees, 30 cm above the            soil line — About 20.1 cm Lenticel size — Large Lenticel            dimensions — Length: About 1.2 cm. Width: About 0.4 cm            Lenticel shape — Elliptical shape oriented horizontally            Lenticel color — Grey: 201C Trunk surface texture — Medium            to slightly rough Outer bark color — The following colors            were observed: Grey: 201C and Greyed-orange: 176B.-   Branches:    -   -   1 year old wood.—Vertical top growth length — About 31.2 cm            Horizontal Growth Length — About 37.6 cm Diameter — Vertical            growth: About 1.3 cm. Horizontal Growth: About 0.8 cm            Internode length — About 3.9 cm Number of lenticels — Few            Lenticel size — Small Lenticel dimensions — Length: About            0.1cm. Width: About 0.1 cm Lenticel shape — Round Bark color            — The following colors were observed: Greyed-orange; 166A            and 166B.        -   2 year old wood.—Length — About 54 cm Diameter — About 1.4            cm Internode length — About 5.1 cm Number of lenticels —            Medium Lenticel dimensions — Length: About 0.1 cm. Width:            About 0.2 cm Lenticel shape — Elliptical shape oriented            horizontally Number of fruiting spurs on 2-year wood — 4 to            12, Average: 7 Bark color — The following colors were            observed: Greyed-orange: 174A and 177B.-   Buds:    -   -   Vegetative buds.—Shape — Elongated Vegetative bud dimensions            — Length: About 1.0 cm. Width: About 0.4 cm Vegetative bud            burst — About Feb. 27, 2014.        -   Flower buds.—Flower bud dimensions — Length: About 1.0 cm.            Width: About 0.5 cm Shape — Oval Placement — At bud            positions 1 to 8 on 1-year wood Average number of flower            buds on first year wood — About 8 Number of flower buds per            spur on second year wood — 2 to 3, Average: About 3 Color —            The following colors were observed: Greyed-orange: 166A and            177A Flower bud burst — About Mar. 1, 2014.-   Leaves:    -   -   Mature leaves.—Leaf dimensions — Length: About 12.1 cm.            Width: About 5.0 cm Leaf shape — Lanceolate: symmetric on            both sides of central axis Shape of tip — Acuminate: broadly            Shape of base — Attenuate Margin — Serrated: regular,            rounded Surface texture — Smooth Leaf profile — Involute.        -   Upper surface.—Upper surface pubescence — None Upper leaf            surface color — Green: 139A.        -   Lower surface.—Lower surface pubescence — Very sparse Lower            leaf surface color — Yellow-green: 147B.        -   Petiole.—Petiole dimensions — Length: About 4.8 cm. Width:            About 1.6 mm Upper surface of petiole color — Yellow-green:            144A Lower surface of petiole color — Yellow-green: 144B            Petiole groove — Medium Petiole pubescence — Very sparse;            only on upper surface Venation — Arcuate Vein color —            Yellow-Green: 145A.        -   Glands.—Number of glands — 1 to 2 Gland dimensions — Length:            About 0.2 cm. Width: About 1.2 cm Gland shape — Globose            Gland location — On petiole Gland color — Red-purple: 60A            Leaf stipule — Not present.-   Flowers:    -   -   Blooming period.—Early.        -   Blooming dates.—First bloom Mar. 4, 2014, Full bloom Mar.            17, 2014.        -   Number of flowers per cluster—2-3. Average: about 2.        -   Corolla.—Composed of unfused petals, somewhat overlapping.        -   Corolla diameter.—About 3.2 cm.        -   Petal number.—5.        -   Petal length.—About 1.4 cm.        -   Petal width.—About 1.4 cm.        -   Margin waviness.—Strong.        -   Division of upper margin.—Entire.        -   Color of petal upper surface.—White: 155D.        -   Color of petal lower surface.—White: 155C.        -   Peduncle.—Length: About 1.9 cm. Width: About 0.1 cm.        -   Peduncle color.—Yellow-green: 144B.        -   Number of sepals.—5.        -   Sepal length.—About 0.7 cm.        -   Sepal width.—About 0.5 cm.        -   Sepal shape.—Triangular.        -   Sepal color.—Upper surface: Yellow-green: 144A. Lower            surface: Red-purple: 59C.        -   Filament.—Length: About 0.5-1.5 cm. Width: About 0.3 mm.        -   Filament color.—White: N155C.        -   Anther color.—Yellow-orange: 22D.        -   Pollen color.—Greyed-orange: 163A.        -   Pollen production.—Medium.        -   Self-compatibility of flowers.—Self-incompatible.        -   Flower compatibility group.—S1S new unidentified allele.-   Fruit:    -   -   General.—Ripening period — Early: Approximately: Apr.            25-30, 2014. Use — Fresh market Keeping quality — Good:            slightly better than the ‘Brooks’ variety % Titratable            acidity — About 0.82% Refractometer test — Soluble solids:            About 20.2 brix Firmtech II (g/mm) — About 280 to 339 Flavor            — Excellent, good sugar/acid balance with pronounced cherry            flavor Juice color — Greyed-purple: 187B Juice amount —            Juicy Eating quality — Excellent.        -   Stem.—Stem — Length: About 2.6 cm. Width: About 0.2 cm Stem            color — The following colors were observed: Yellow-green:            143C and 144B Stem cavity — Medium Stem retention during            storage — Very good Stem storage quality — Good.        -   Berry.—Uniformity of size — Uniform Shape — Flat-round Fruit            Weight — About 10.6 gm Apical Diameter — About 2.5 cm            Diameter transversely across suture — About 2.8 cm Diameter            at right angle to suture plane — About 2.3 cm Suture — None            Percent of excessively deep or split sutures — 0% Doubles —            0%.        -   Skin.—Thickness — Medium Texture — Mostly smooth, with very            little indentation noted at lenticels Skin color —            Greyed-purple: 187B Tendency to tip crack — Not susceptible            Tendency to stem cavity crack — Not susceptible.        -   Flesh.—Texture — Firm Color — The following colors were            observed: Greyed-purple: 187A, and Red: 45C and 45D and 50A.        -   Stone.—Shape — Ovate Length: About 1.3 cm Width transversely            across suture — About 1.0 cm Width at right angle to suture            plane — About 1.1 cm Type — Semi-cling Surface texture —            Slightly rough Stone Color when dry — Yellow-white: 158A            Tendency to split — None Base — Broadly pointed Apex —            Acutely pointed Ventral edge — Prominent narrow suture            extending from the base to the midpoint of the stone            subtended by 2 minor ridges converging at the base and the            apex Dorsal edge — Narrow ridge from base to apex.

What is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct variety of sweet cherry tree asherein illustrated and described.